


The Dog and the Dove

by DarkKnightDan



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Because justice, Criminal Underground, Dark Past, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, I'm terrible at tagging, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Law School, Law Student, Organized Crime, Potential for more characters later, Recovery, haha - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 22:17:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10649175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkKnightDan/pseuds/DarkKnightDan
Summary: Fareeha Amari was never one for thinking about relationships, romantic or otherwise. After leaving Jesse behind in her hometown and moving in with Lena, she had really just started to focus on her studies, and nothing else. There wasn't time for a social life, or any sort of self-exploration. Fareeha figured that had all been done in college, and she was done figuring out who she was.Until she meets Angela.





	The Dog and the Dove

As Fareeha Amari stepped from the prison that her college called a classroom, she had only one thing on her mind, and that was how to get home. Usually not a worry for the young Egyptian, due to her roommate’s schedule, she was stuck in a bind now that the younger woman was out of town for the week. What she was doing, Fareeha hadn’t thought to ask, not that she really cared that much. Rather, she hadn’t when it had been the beginning of the day, before she had started her classes. Now, as the day quickly drew to a close, with the sun having already set, she wasn’t quite sure that there was a safe way to get back to her apartment. The only two routes that she knew of both went through the harsher neighborhoods in town. She knew of worse places to go, but not that many. 

However, there was something peculiar about the twenty-year old. When she was faced with danger, she often didn’t seem to care much about it. Moreso she didn’t care about her instincts telling her that something was a bad idea. It was like the logical part of her brain was a mosquito buzzing in her ear, and she just continually swatted it away, paying no mind to the annoyance. Keeping true to form, Fareeha set her path to one of her ways home once she came out of the building in which her corporate law class had been conducted for the past handful of months. 

Outside, Fareeha realized just how dark it had really gotten. When the sun had gone down, she wasn’t sure, but it had left behind a curtain of abyssal black that seemed endless, only broken up by some light that emanated from the building, as well as a handful of small lampposts scattered about the campus. There were no stars in the sky, occluded by some clouds that left a feeling of pressure in the air, and carried with them the distinct scent of an oncoming rain. That, mixed with the chill that had settled over the formerly-warm campus, was a cause for Fareeha to grumble something about forgetting a jacket. Not an uncommon occurrence, but usually not one of issue. Not with Lena usually right outside on the street when she got out of class. 

Fareeha was undeterred by the cold and the dark, though. As she passed by some of her classmates that had been sitting next to only moments ago, she thought about asking one of them for a ride. Some of them were decent enough people, and she trusted them to deliver her home safely. But for every decent person in her class, there were two that she didn’t particularly like, and they seemed to be the only ones in abundance as she stepped into one of the small halos of light cast by the lamps. So, the determined part of her psyche was only further set on the goal, to walk home. 

Fareeha followed the trail of the lamps, at least to the edge of the campus. There, the lamps dulled, and, further down the road, she could see where some of them had been broken. Either through storms, or by human action. The darkened lamps extended down nearly the entirety of the road that she could see, occluding any chance of spotting a silhouette that might have lingered on the edge of the light, or further. The only hint of light was when a car came up or down the street, its headlights drawing a faint cone ahead of it, that didn’t do much to illuminate the sidewalk for more than a few seconds. 

“Well,” Fareeha took a step off the sidewalk that marked the edge of the campus, “won’t get home by standing here.” Upon reaching the other side of the short crosswalk, Fareeha shoved her hands into the pockets of the jeans that she was currently wearing, and just tried to make herself as unnoticeable as possible. She wasn’t even to the worse parts of town yet, and she could already feel an edge to her perception. As she walked past alleys, she would steal a quick glance down into the darkness, squinting just slightly in an attempt to make out any threat of danger. With the darkness forming a sort of blank, featureless wall, she couldn’t begin to see anything, which brought an end to that action by the third or fourth block of her journey. 

The transition from the decent part of town off of campus to what was considered a dangerous neighborhood was without any sort of ceremony, not even a street to cross. It was one building, and then another. Granted, the second one was covered in graffiti, slurs of every sort written out in all manners of colors of ink that could only slightly be gleaned in lack of light. Fareeha could only really catch sight of a particularly juvenile one at that point, which read “fuck off or die.” A warning to nobody in particular. Maybe if Lena had been around, or if she’d been walking with Jesse, like she had back when they were in high school, then she would have laughed at the taunt. Now, she only kept her eyes forward, intent on not falling prey to some manner of unseen aggressor. 

Not that the young Amari couldn’t fend for herself. Hours upon hours of training in martial arts by her mother and some of her eccentric friends saw to the fact that she could handle herself in a fight. However, Fareeha was aware of the truth that, in a situation like hers, the more common issue was that she did not have a weapon, while her aggressor was more likely to have a knife or, even worse, a gun. She briefly tried to remember what it was that Jesse had told her about dealing with people with guns, something about taunting them, because they would probably just fuck off. However, she quickly came to the conclusion that she would rather not mess with someone like that in this part of town. She doubted that anyone approaching her here with a gun wouldn’t be willing to kill. 

“Why couldn’t you have taught me how to shoot a gun? Or given me one?” Fareeha glanced down another alleyway, and almost froze in her tracks. Her eyes fell directly onto a silhouette, just barely visible as an outline in the alleyway. Man or woman, Fareeha couldn’t tell, but by the size, she assumed the former, rather than the latter. Instead of stopping, making herself an easy target, Fareeha kept on walking, now more alert than ever. She hoped, prayed, that the person in that alley had either not seen her, or just didn’t care enough to come walking after her. 

No such luck. Within moments, Fareeha could hear footsteps behind her on the sidewalk. They were slow, almost in time with her own, but they were distinctly there. It didn’t seem as though this person wanted to make a move just yet, whatever that move might be, but instead was content with lingering behind for the moment. Fareeha noticed, with a hint of comfort, that her apartment key was tucked into her pocket. She curled her fist around, it the key protruding from her knuckles in some semblance of a weapon. Nothing great, but still something if push came to shove. Better than bare knuckles, at the very least. 

The footsteps didn’t stay slow forever, though. Fareeha noticed the moment that they sped up, even if the increase in speed was only slight. Miniscule, even. There was the feeling of someone’s eyes almost boring into her back, and the distinct shift as she felt someone’s presence move closer and closer. It was like whoever it was carried an air of danger in their wake, one that made what little hair on Fareeha’s body stand on end. She silently cursed as she braced herself to swing. 

Just as soon as she had mentally readied herself, Fareeha felt a hand roughly grab her shoulder and attempt to spin her so that she could face her pursuer. Without a moment’s hesitation, Fareeha swung forward with the hand that had the key in the knuckle. Staring into the darkness caused by the jacket that her aggressor wear, she couldn’t see the look on his face when the hit connected with his side, close to his kidneys. What she was aware of, was the sound of air rushing out of her aggressor’s lungs, accompanied by a miasma of alcohol that exuded from his warm breath as it blasted her full in the face. 

Almost as swiftly as the man had grabbed Fareeha, he let go. Something clattered to the ground, she wasn’t sure what, but she wasn’t about to stop and look. Instead Fareeha dealt the doubled-over man a blow to the back of his head that sent him to the ground, before turning on her heel and taking off in near-flight as she sprinted down the sidewalk. The rubber soles of the combat boots that she wore made heavy smacks as they collided with the pavement, only accentuated at the sky opened up, and a heavy rain began to pour down without any sort of warning. 

Fareeha was soon off of the street that she had been on for the majority of her journey, and found herself on a somewhat well-lit street. It was at this point that she had run out of breath, and stood in the halo of light, hands on her knees, breath coming in painful bursts, accompanied by a burning in her chest. She had to have been at least a quarter of a mile ahead of her aggressor by now, and a glance back form the way that she had come revealed that there was nobody in sight. No aggressors, but no friendly faces either.   
And Fareeha was still a long way from home. The rain had already soaked through the thin shirt that she had donned that morning, and was making steady headway through her jeans, soaking her to the bone. That, accompanied by the cold, caused Fareeha to shiver as she stood there. Further down from where she stood, the darkness resumed just as swiftly as it had been broken. She had at least another mile, maybe more, and it seemed as though it would all be ventured through in darkness. 

That, is, until Fareeha was hit full in the face by the lights of a car when she turned to glance over her shoulder once more. The car didn’t move though, instead idling where it seemed to have stopped moments ago, headlights throwing their illumination down the street, creating long shadows that stretched out toward the rest of the dark that the headlights didn’t permeate. For a moment, Fareeha thought about running, thinking that the car must have belonged to whoever it was that had tried to attack her, or maybe a friend of his. That fear was quickly dispelled, though, when a woman’s voice called out from somewhere behind the light, through which Fareeha couldn’t see.

“Hello there, are you alright?” There was the sound of a car door closing, and Fareeha tensed once more. Then, a woman’s figure emerged into the light, carrying what appeared to be an umbrella as she approached. Her pale complexion, combined with the light, made it hard for Fareeha to make out any of her features, but the soft tone of her voice told Fareeha that she need not worry about the woman that was approaching her. Well, both that, and the fact that the woman couldn’t have been that strong, considering how fragile she looked. 

“I’m alright.” Fareeha took a step back toward the wall, thinking that she would feel a lot better with something solid against her back. “Just….trying to get home.” There was a slight hum from the other woman, one that quickly became a warm chuckle as she walked even further toward Fareeha, her features swiftly becoming more and more discernable. From what Fareeha saw, the woman had to be in her mid-twenties, if not younger. She had blonde that was almost platinum, pulled back into a sort of messy bun, and gleaming blue eyes that were covered by a pair of glasses that looked almost too small for the woman’s face. 

“Well, maybe I could help you home.” When the woman was arm’s length away, she extended her arm forward so that the umbrella could cover both her and Fareeha. “You shouldn’t be walking around during a storm, especially not in this part of town.” For a moment, Fareeha could only think of her mother from the way that the woman spoke, but unlike her mother, her chiding came off more as playful rather than full-on scolding. “Would you like a ride?”

God yes. That was Fareeha’s first reaction, but then that edge of apprehension returned, spurned further by the fact that this woman had appeared at what could be described as only an all too convenient time. Fareeha wasn’t one to trust coincidence, and this woman seemed to be just that. However, she began to way the risks of making the rest of the trek home against the risks of getting in this woman’s car. As long as there was no one else in the car, Fareeha could take the young blonde in a fight, she was almost certain of that. On the other hand, she wasn’t sure that she could take on someone who wasn’t drunk if he or she had a gun, and there was a good chance she would run into someone that fit that exact specification if she tried to walk the rest of the way home. 

“I uh, I would appreciate that.” Fareeha took a step away from the building to accompany her figurative leap of faith, and the young woman smiled, a warm expression that Fareeha could only describe as comforting. If the blonde was dangerous, she thought to herself, then she certainly did an amazing job of covering it up. Without so much as another word, the still-unnamed woman turned around, and made her way back toward the car. She walked fast enough that the few steps to the car didn’t take long, but slow enough that she and Fareeha could share the umbrella that she held over her head. Their footsteps fell into sync as they walked back to the small compact that Fareeha had been unable to see through the glare of the headlights, then diverged as they went to their respective seats, Fareeha breaking into a near run in order to get out of the rain. 

Fareeha opened the passenger door, and slid into the seat before slamming the door shut behind her. The other woman slid into the car moments later, and closed the umbrella before she threw it into the back seat. She sighed, and wiped a strand of platinum-blonde hair out of her eyes. Once she had done that, she put the car into drive. 

“Where are we heading?” It took Fareeha a moment to realize that the woman was talking to her, and another moment to remember the exact address of her apartment. Not that she would tell the woman her exact address, instead telling the blonde to drop her off a block down the road, at one of the other apartment buildings that she knew was close. Without so much as a word, or any indication that she needed further direction, they were on their way, the blonde woman staring out at the road as she drove. 

There was only silence between the two of them for a moment, not even the sound of a radio interrupting the awkward air that swiftly settled over the car. At least, to Fareeha’s perception. She wasn’t entirely sure what the other woman felt of the situation, but it seemed neither of them were eager to break the silence. However, Fareeha quickly grew tired of the silence, opting to be the one to break the ice. 

“Thank you.” Fareeha shifted in her seat, “for giving me a ride, I mean.” The blonde woman’s lips curled up into a sort of half-smile before she glanced over at Fareeha, looked her over as though taking her in for the first time. 

“No need to thank me.” The tone of the woman’s voice was kind, but her words were curt. Fareeha was getting a sort of double vibe from the woman, one that said she was kind, and another that said she had somewhere better to be, and would rather not talk to the young Egyptian that she had offered a ride home to. “I’m Angela Ziegler, by the way.” That name, for some reason, rang a bell in Fareeha’s mind. She knew she had heard it somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite place where that had been at the moment.

“Fareeha Amari.” She leant back in the seat, and put her arms over her chest, instantly feeling somewhat stupid for giving the woman her name. She had always been told not to give out her name to strangers. Then again, she had also been told never to accept rides from strangers, so her mother’s lessons were swiftly being thrown out the window today. Actually, by not bringing a jacket with her to class, Fareeha had made it a triple.

“Are you a student at the university up the road?” Angela didn’t take her eyes off of the road as she questioned Fareeha, the pair of sky-blue orbs seemingly glued there. Fareeha didn’t realize that she looked that much like a university student, but rationalized the question with the fact that there would probably be little other reason for a woman of her age to be walking down the street at this hour of the night, particularly alone. 

“Well, a law student.” Fareeha didn’t even bother thinking about withholding information at this point. She figured that this woman would be able to find out whatever she wanted to figure out now that she knew the young student’s name, so she figured it would just be better to tell her what she wanted to know. The blonde nodded, and smiled to herself. “What?” 

“Oh, nothing, just some good memories.” The blonde didn’t clarify further, and Fareeha didn’t feel like pressing her into doing so, and so she just glanced out the window, watching as the rain pounded down onto the sidewalk, mingling with puddles that had already formed on the sidewalk. The silence that had previously reigned over the car dominated once more, and this time Fareeha was fine with letting it hang that way. If she was to be honest, she was afraid that the blonde would coax more information out of her, information that she wasn’t exactly keen on sharing. 

When Angela pulled up to the address that Fareeha had given her, the younger of the two stepped out of the car, before turning back to thank Angela for the ride. The blonde smiled that warm smile of hers, and again told Fareeha that no thanks were necessary. Then, she added that if Fareeha ever needed a ride again, she could call. Before Fareeha could say that she didn’t have the other woman’s number, or give any other manner of excuse, the blonde handed her a tiny card. It looked similar to a business card, but smaller, and plainer. Instead of a company name, or anything like that, all that was on the card was Angela’s name, along with a phone number, both printed in plain, black, default font. 

“Uh, thanks.” Fareeha tucked the card into the pocket, making a mental note that she very well may keep it, considering that Lena wouldn’t be home for a couple of days. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She stepped back, and went to shut the door, but decided to thank Angela one last time before doing so. The door of the midnight black car fell into its place, and then it pulled away from the curb, heading off to some other destination that Fareeha could only wonder about. She turned, and started to walk down the street to her own apartment complex, with a variety of thoughts swimming through her head. 

Firstly, what to do with the card? Part of her mind was saying to throw it away, but another was saying to keep it, maybe call on the woman tomorrow, if she would be willing to shuttle her from the college to her apartment again it would save a lot of trouble. Second, whether or not to call Lena, tell her what had happened. No, that was definitely out of the question, the Brit had said she really didn’t want to be getting calls while she was away. Then, maybe she could call Jesse, ask him what to do. Then, there was the knowledge that Jesse would drive up through the night to stay with her if he figured out that Lena had left her alone for the week. 

So, in the end, Fareeha ended up at her apartment without coming to a conclusion about what to do about any of it, but she figured that it wasn’t something to worry about for the time being. However, due to her paranoid mind, Fareeha did doublecheck all of the doors and windows that night before going to bed, ensuring that they were locked. She also locked the door to her own room, which offered some semblance of comfort to the fear that the man from earlier might inexplicably show up. 

Part of her wished that she had called Jesse as she sat up in the middle of the night, staring at her wall as every sound just outside her window made her glance out the glass. Having him here might have been somewhat embarrassing to do, but it certainly would have offered a semblance of comfort. Jesse wasn’t the strongest, but at least he knew how to shoot a gun. Hell, if he would even just bring her one, then she would have felt fine. 

But, without a weapon, Fareeha didn’t feel comfortable enough to sleep. She sat up through the night like a wolf in the wild, staring at the moon when it managed to peek through the clouds.


End file.
